


Time... Normally there isn't enough of it

by Charlia



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fix-It, It's a little graphic at times, People die in the flashbacks, Time Travel, im sorry, more tags as we go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:53:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26082232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Charlia/pseuds/Charlia
Summary: They failed. Their world ended. But it was just a dream right?Deja vu: a feeling of having already experienced the present situation... But is it just a feeling?
Comments: 14
Kudos: 56





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [peanut_kun](https://archiveofourown.org/users/peanut_kun/gifts).



> Just a little beginning before I get into it. Does anyone know how I can get italics to work on here??

_Lightening flashed across the blood red sky. Screams of the dying filled the battlefield in a tortured harmony, sending shivers down the spines of the still fighting shinobi forces. Smoke, thick and heavy, hung in the air; lingering with the scent of charred flesh and spilt blood. Only a handful of the once powerful forces remained, their numbers dropping steadily as each day passed. Those left felt nothing except a void in their hearts. It was hard to remember what they were fighting for; friends and family were dead. Whole villages of civilians had been wiped from existence; clans annihilated; heroes ripped to shreds all under that never-ending full ruby moon._

_A figure stood alone, atop the crumbling remains of the Hokage mountain. Their robes torn and dirty as they flapped in the breeze. The figure had tilted their cap down to cover their eyes as they surveyed the destroyed remains of the Hidden Leaf village. They stood tall as they gazed around with hard brown eyes, unwilling to admit defeat, despite knowing it was coming. He had sacrificed so many of his cohort to prepare the final plan. He had taken up the role of Hokage, and he had failed. His people, the king, were dead. Few of their ranks fought day in day out, holding on to the hope that this plan will work; that he could fix this, save them, save their home. He sighed and tilted his blood and ash streaked face to the sky; a single tear slowly rolled its way down his gaunt cheek. Since Naruto had died, he had tried (and failed in his mind) to fill Naruto’s shoes; to keep his dream and spirit alive. Now… now it was time. With the rain starting to fall, the figure turned and staggered over to a pre-drawn sealing array. In the last few months, his people had paid in blood, sweat, and tears for him to learn this. He had crammed as many of the formulas and calculations into his head as possible, just to make this plan possible._

_With a weary sigh, the last Hokage of this time stood in the center of the seal and pulled out a tanto. He fed his chakra into the sealing array, as quickly as he could, before Madara felt the surge of chakra building. He could see the insane Uchiha, heading his way, rage glowing in Madara’s eyes as he took in the glowing seals. Oh yes, it was time. He was tired, so so tired of fighting. It was time to die. The Hokage lifted the blade in steady hands, tears of relief streaming down his face as he plunged the blade into his stomach. His sacrifice the final piece to the seal that would save them all. He smirked at the Uchiha before his eyes closed one last time..._

Shikamaru woke with a scream, drowned out by the slamming of his door opening, his father stood protectively over him in a flash. Shikamaru curled into himself and sobbed as parts of his dream flashed through his mind, phantom pain seared through his belly, as though he had been stabbed. Warm, strong arms wrapped around him, his father’s chakra coiling defensively around his own as he cried in confusion, pain, and terror. The deep baritone of his dad’s voice rumbled in his ear, but he couldn’t hear the words said; couldn’t stop the panic rising as the pain became a burning heat. Faintly aware of being lifted into his father’s arms, Shikamaru lost his battle with staying conscious. Oblivious to the worried looks passed between his parents as they tucked him between them in their bed. They would guard his sleep for the rest of the night, they could talk with him before he went to the academy tomorrow.

Gentle shaking dragged him back to consciousness the next morning, Shikamaru scrunched his eyes closed and whined at being woken up, before turning to bury his face into the warm, nice smelling pillow next to him. Slowly the scent started to register, as did the fact that his pillow was shaking with laughter. The smoky, woodsy scent tinged with a hint of steel and fresh earth could only belong to one person.

“Dad, why are you in my bed?” Shikamaru yawned as he forced himself to talk. Really, it was just too early for this, and his dad made a great nap buddy. Snuggling closer, he buried his nose into his dad’s chest, inhaling deeply the scent that he has always associated with love and protection. A large callused hand rested softly on his head, before stroking down his neck and spine. Just enough pressure for Shikamaru to relax under the petting.

“I believe that is my question for you, son. Do you remember last night?” Shikaku’s voice was light, ragged from sleep, but carried none of the worry and concern he felt. Shikaku smiled down at the small human curled into his chest, his wife slipping into the bed next to him, wrapping her arm over their son. The need to just touch overwhelming in both of them. For Shikaku, the screams and thrashing chakra reminded him of his days in the war. The war he fought for his son to grow in peace. To hear his ten-year-old scream as through he was seeing the horrors of war... Shikaku suppressed a shiver. This was the worse nightmare Shikamaru had had, though they had been getting worse for the last two weeks.

Shikamaru froze, and frowned, before glancing up at his dad. Thinking back Shikamaru remembered waking up screaming, and in pain. He remembered looking at a figure and feeling an overwhelming feeling of despair and loneliness.

“I remember fear, and despair. Exhaustion, like I had been up for weeks on end. I remember choking on smoke and not being able to breath from it clogging my throat. Then searing pain through my belly, which is when I woke up.” Shikamaru spoke hesitantly, like he wasn’t sure if he was about to be laughed at. He adored his father. His father was his hero, someone to watch and follow in the shadow of. It would kill him if his dad laughed at him for his nightmare, after all a man shouldn’t show fear. The warm weight of his parents’ arms around him was reassuring, especially when they tightened at his words. His mother, his darling mother, nuzzled the back of his neck softly; her soothing words whispered lovingly into the silence following his explanation. Shikamaru relaxed into the grip of his parents, safe within their grasp, their continuous love reassuring him after his harrowing night.

“It was just a dream, my son. Probably because I’ve been taking longer missions recently, your imagination has been kicking into overdrive, worry causing these nightmares to happen.” Shikaku paused to tighten his grip on his child, his other hand coming up to run his fingers through the soft, thick, raven-coloured hair being rested on his chest. “We can stay here for another few minutes before you have to get ready for the academy.” Shikaku’s voice was soft, so not to shatter the comfortable atmosphere. He didn’t want to send Shikamaru to the academy, he wanted to keep him close today, but it was better to keep his day to his normal schedule especially after last nights terror. They didn’t want to feed his fear by stopping him going about his day as normally as possible. Still, there was no reason not to take advantage of the rare clingy and cuddly mood his son was in. With a gleeful grin, Shikaku snuggled into his warm bed, tugging his family closer for good cuddles, under the guise of comforting his child of course...


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a year after chapter 1.
> 
> For you again Peanut_kun, thank you for pre-reading
> 
> For my other readers, I appreciate you taking the time out of your day to read. Please feel free to comment. I take everything under consideration, and i adore constructive criticism

Shikamaru rested his head against his crossed arms. Iruka was great, but school was awful. Seriously, it moved so slow, and was so shallow it barely scrapped the surface of most topics. Any Nara that went to the academy also went to an evening school in the clan compound for a deeper look at math, science, and chakra theory. It was troublesome having to go to two schools every day, it was especially troublesome at having to see his cousin Yuri all day. Shikamaru was sure his cousin was an ok guy, but for some reason Yuri always seemed out to humiliate him or beat him at something. It was drag, the constant competition. It didn’t help that Shikamaru refused to do more than he had to, to pass at the academy; whereas Yuri put in his all at both schools. That seemed to irritate his cousin more than when he tried and beat Yuri. Speak of the devil, a ball of wadded up paper bounced of Shikamaru’s head and landed next to him, Chouji hissing at him that it was from his cousin. With a near silent groan, Shikamaru dragged himself upright and unfolded the paper, rolling his eyes at the content it contained. Shoving the paper at Chouji to read, Shikamaru dropped his head with a muted clunk on to the table. History time was naptime. Not even his cousin could convince him to stay awake. Letting his eyes close to the sound of the history teacher drone on about the war with Iwa; Shikamaru sunk into a light doze, his mind racing to pour over the chakra theory they were taught at the clan school last night. It dealt with the natures of chakra, and the transformations ninja put their chakra through. From what he had gathered there were two basic transformations: shape and nature. More advanced transformations involved combinations of the two and melding elements together. Shikamaru had his own theory that he could mix the literal elements with his shadows, giving him an offensive twist to the basic shadow jutsu he knew. A shrill ringing jerked him from his mind, followed by a nudge from Chouji which had him sitting up yawning. Oh yay… Taijutsu lesson… what a drag! It was a great day for cloud watching, Shikamaru noted absently, as he watched his classmates in the ring. It was his turn next, and he hoped he would have Chouji as his partner, though it looked like that troublesome cousin of his was attempting to be his partner for it.

“Cousin, you shouldn’t sleep during class. This is why your grades are dropping, maybe you shouldn’t be the clan heir. You bring a bad name to us. I’m so telling Aunt Yoshino that you were sleeping again.” Yuri smirked as he berated Shikamaru. It just wasn’t fair, his cousin had everything, and didn’t work for it, whereas he worked hard and got pushed to the side. Maybe once they saw his academy scores, they would let him be the heir! Yuri smirked darkly and dragged his cousin over to the sparring ring. He would beat Shikamaru into the ground until the acknowledged him.

Shikamaru seethed inside. He didn’t care about grades particularly, or for being awake at school, but to suggest that he was dishonoring his parents and clan as the clan heir… _That_ was going too far. If Yuri wanted a fight, then a fight he would have. Shikamaru frowned lightly and recapped all his information on his cousins fighting ability. Conclusion: he was competent in the academy style, had a very good grasp on the beginner’s katas for the clan style; however, he was cocky and overconfident. Makes him easy to beat. Shikamaru’s brow smoothed out as he shut down his irritation. A Nara was unreadable, unless they wanted to be read. He wasn’t going to break that lesson because of his bully of a cousin. Lesson 26, however, he was about to break but hopefully he can do some damage control after. _Lesson 26: Let everyone underestimate you. Let them orchestrate their own downfall._ Shikamaru stepped into the ring, and fell into a ready stance, both him and his cousin foregoing the normal respects at the beginning of a match. Silence settled around their classmates, as they were drawn to the Nara vs Nara match. Something was in the air, something big, something final. They didn’t know what it was, they just knew that what happened here would have a knock-on effect over the next few years. So, they watched and waited. If Iruka was here, he would have stopped the fight before it began, but the substitute just started the fight.

The two waited a heartbeat before Yuri launched himself at his cousin, aiming to land his fist in his cousin’s stomach. He knew his cousin. He was lazy, but he would retaliate after his honour as clan heir had been called into question. Yuri was confident he would still win, after all, he had been working on mixing the clan style with the academy style. His confidence last for the first few seconds as Shikamaru ducked, dodged, and weaved through his continuous attack; until he realise that Shikamaru was moving him to a certain point of the ring. The point where the ground was loose and shifting. Paling, Yuri worked out he was playing into whatever plan Shikamaru had. As he pulled back on his attack and glanced around, Yuri noticed the rest of his class watching him with anticipation. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Shikamaru smirk and attack.

Shikamaru smirked, as realization dawned on his cousin. Oh yes, this was worth breaking lesson 26 for! Shikamaru launched his attack, ignoring the academy style and falling into his dad’s personal fighting style. _Lesson 34: Hit hard, hit fast, and leave them guessing._ Shikamaru twisted and darted around his cousin, landing hits in vital areas. He never stayed in one place for long, just long enough to hit or miss and then move on. Herding his cousin on to unsteady ground, Shikamaru dropped himself down to sweep at Yuri’s ankles, predicting his cousin would jump to avoid…which he did. Shikamaru watched as Yuri landed on the shifting ground and got a face full of the dust Shikamaru had stirred up during his attack. With his cousin temporarily blinded, Shikamaru landed a solid punch to his chest, pushing him over the edge of the ring. Shikamaru stood and stared down at his fallen cousin, his face scarily blank, his eyes chips of ice. Enough was enough, and today Shikamaru had proven his point to his cousin. Any further action on Yuri’s part would be treated with disdain. Watching the two, the substitute hoped Iruka would be back soon, before the kids killed each other.

Meanwhile, in the administration tower, a group of ninjas sat in rows facing a large desk, with a board next to it. At the desk was the Hokage, the jounin commander Shikaku Nara, and the head of the intelligence department Inoichi Yamanaka. These three ninjas were the main three in the village. The Nara and Yamanaka reported directly to the Hokage and had many sub departments they looked after. The front row had two chunnin and the rest were potential jounin-sensei ‘s or just some of the village elite that may have some good insight.

“We have 1 graduating class this year, a few of the civilians have been pulled out of going further by their parents since last week’s exam: Jima Huro, Heero Takashi, Takato Matsuda, and Sakura Haruno which is unfortunate because she had exceptionally high results in all the academic subjects, and very good results in the actual skill parts. Now Shini-san and I, have already presplit the remaining genin…” Here Iruka’s voice took a more tentative tone, as he exchanged a heated set of looks with the other chunin. Clearly, the rest of the room thought, these two did not agree about was to come next. “… however, I have some alternative teams I would like to pitch to you all for your consideration.” Iruka’s voice firmed, he was convinced about his other teams, compared to the presplit groups. The three senior ninjas exchanged looks, before the Hokage spoke up.

“Shini-san, please explain to us the original groupings, and reasoning. Iruka-kun you can then present your alternative teams and reasoning. At that point we will ask the room for their thoughts before we make a decision.”

“Yes Sir.” Shini stood and started arranging names on the board, with considered sensei. As he started talking, Iruka slipped out the room for another board. “…. sensei: Genma Shiranui. Team 7: Sasuke Uchiha, Ami Asuna, Naruto Uzumaki. This is the Rookie of the year, one of the higher girls, and the last of the year, as is tradition. Sensei: Kakashi Hatake. Team 8 Hinata Hyuuga, Kiba….” Shini’s rasping voice continued up to team 16. He included the one team everyone knew was coming, the 16th generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho combination, with a Sarutobi as the sensei. By the time Iruka came back, most of the ninjas present were a little confused at why he would want to break up clearly balanced teams. At a nod from the Hokage, Iruka set up the spare board and turned to the room.

“I know, you are all wondering why break up such obviously balanced teams? My answer is that they aren’t balanced, not entirely. The two I have issue with are team 7 and team 10. Team 7 for me should be Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, and Shikamaru Nara, with Kakashi Hatake as their sensei. Team 10 should be Ino Yamanaka, Chouji Akimichi, and Yuri Nara with Asuma Sarutobi as their sensei.” Here Iruka paused and let the rumbling in the room explode as the shinobi in front of him started discussing his tweaks. One dark grey eye stared at Iruka from the back, a hint of surprise and delight at the changes hidden in the depth. The owner of the eye closed his little orange book and raised his voice slightly.

“Interesting change there Iruka-sensei, would you be able to explain why you made it please?” The lightly amused tone silenced the room, as its owner ignored the puzzled stares shot his way.

“Ah, well let’s start with Team 7:

Sasuke needs a hell of a lot of therapy, which he has refused when offered. He has never got past his clan’s destruction and is fixated on revenge. He is idolized by all the girls in the class except Hinata. Hinata however, is too passive and too low in self-esteem to be able to stand up to him. He'd destroy her remaining confidence. So that means none of the girls can be with him yet. He needs someone who can pull him into activities as part of a team. Yes, he is also the Rookie of the year, but scores in the classroom mean nothing when the psychological report say he should be removed from the corps for instability and being too revenge orientated. He need stability from his team.

Naruto the dead last of his cohort, yet highly adaptive and creative. He can't stay still, and struggles with anything academic, yet he has an instinctive knowledge of what he can do to win but doesn't plan ever. What he needs is a friend, someone who will stand by and support him; as well as guide him to slow and think occasionally. He would work really well with a friendly rival, i.e. Sasuke; and someone else that can teach him tact and diplomacy. He needs someone that will give him positive and constructive criticism, as well as emotional stability. None of the girls will work with him, except to bully and beat him; except Hinata has a crush on him, but again is too passive to convince him out of bad ideas.

Then we come to Shikamaru. Lazy, unmotivated, and hides behind an unfeeling mask. Dead middle of the class on scores, because it was too much effort to pick up the pencil. What is noteworthy, was that he told me he had calculated the exact scores he needed to reach the exact middle. He _should_ have been Rookie of the year but couldn’t be bothered to pick up a pencil. More than intelligent enough to be able to pull both of his team members into line, and he isn't going to pander to one or put the other down. The activity level of the other two will drag his up, hopefully putting it on par with his brain. Yes, he should have been part of Ino-Shika-Cho, but this would be a better pairing for all three boys, you also still get an Ino-Shika-Cho trio.

Now their sensei would be Kakashi Hatake. Genius, and prodigy in his own right, he can match and challenge Shikamaru, plus pushing him to increase his physical state. Calm enough to temper Naruto’s natural extroversion and strong enough to keep Naruto interested. He has the Sharingen for Sasuke, if he develops it, whilst being powerful enough to impress and demand respect from the boy.” Iruka ground to a close, after all this was the team that his planning hinged on. He needed them to see his point of view, otherwise team 7 would be self-implode, and drag Konoha with it. Silence reigned, and Iruka shifted in discomfort under the disbelieving stares of the higher ranks. Turning to the desk, Iruka met each thoughtful gaze steadily. These three at least looked like they were considering it.

“Why Shikamaru? You could have put Yuri Nara in team 7 just as easily. In fact, his grades on paper are higher, you just have your gut feeling that Shikamaru should have been Rookie. He shows a little more emotion than my son and would connect to the other two better.” Shikaku’s deep voice, so similar to his son with its emotionless tone, prodded Iruka for a little more. His dark eyes, encouraging Iruka to keep going, clearly, he was open to this idea he just needed to cover all bases. Iruka sighed and glanced at the blonde on the other side of the Hokage, who smiled at him gently.

“That was actually the reason I _didn’t_ put Yuri in team 7. That team is already brimming with emotions. Yuri… is a good kid, but he is too focused on beating Shikamaru. I believe putting him on a team with an avenger, and someone who gets a one tracked mind when he decides on something might tip Yuri into obsession. Also, Shikamaru is too passive around Ino. Yuri is more likely to push the Kunoichi of the year to excel.” Iruka shrugs, “Whilst Yuri has nothing against Naruto, exactly, he doesn’t like or accept him either. Shikamaru is already on…friendly… for him anyway, terms with Naruto.” The small smirk on Shikaku’s face let Iruka relax. He had one of the three on his side already. Two, if the slightly nod from Inoichi was anything to go on. Looking at the lined face of the Hokage as he sucked on his pipe, Iruka was nervous. Especially as he opened tired eyes, and just looked at Iruka. The weight of his eyes caused Iruka to start rethinking his teams before he stopped and steeled his mind. No, his teams were the way forward. He knows it’s true. Iruka tensed as his Hokage started to speak.

“You have made a convincing argument Iruka-kun. I like your thought process.” He raised a wrinkled hand as the room exploded in disbelief. “Whilst team 7 is traditionally the Rookie of the year, the top kunoichi, and the dead last, we must start looking forward to the future. A traditional team is a predictable team. Every team 7 we have had has been destroyed, have left the village, or have been left with serious mental health issues. The only traditional team I’m happy with staying is Ino-Shika-Cho. That’s a balanced team and they have yet to be countered effectively. We will use your teams Iruka. From now on students will be placed on teams because of their psychological reports and their needs. NOT for traditions sake.”

Iruka exhaled slowly and slouched in exhaustion. These meetings always made him tired, no one liked breaking traditions. A solid warm weight rested against his back, as a steadying hand gripped his elbow. A warm breath of air puffed across his ear as the person murmured into his ear about staying strong whilst he left the room. That the slouch showed a weakness the jounins behind him wouldn’t be able to resist. So, with the stealthy guidance from the guy behind him, Iruka bowed to the three at the desk, and slipped out the room, before glancing over his shoulder at the mystery person. With a jolt, Iruka recognised the silver hair and mask.

“Oh Hatake-san, thank you for your assistance in the meeting, and getting me out of thereafter.” Iruka stuttered his way through his thanks, he could feel the rising heat to the back of his neck of a blush.

“Maa, Iruka-Sensei, please call me Kakashi; and why wouldn’t I? You called me a genius and persuaded them back there to give me a balanced team for once. That’s a powerhouse of team, and they are mine.” Kakashi’s only visible eye turned into a happy u shape, his hand still at Iruka’s elbow as he guided him to a nearby café. “Now, can I interest you in a coffee? I’d like to ask some questions about team 7 and your suggestions on how to approach them.” If it happened to also be a date with the fiery sensei in front of him, then Kakashi was a happy jounin!

Shikaku watched with interest as Kakashi lead Iruka out. Now that was going to cause some gossip, he grinned amused at what was about to fill the gossip vine of Konoha. Still, Iruka made a lot of excellent points, and whilst he was a bit saddened that his son wouldn’t be on an Ino-Shika-Cho team, he was looking forward to watching his son’s journey. Maybe Inoichi and Chouza would be willing to bet on the progress of their kids…


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of day to day happenings in the Nara Clan. Turns out they have their own academy in the evening, who knew.
> 
> A character dies in the past, but hopefully their future will be different

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi peeps. 
> 
> I ummed and ahhed over this one... Im not sure i got the emotion level right in the flashback...Let me know what you want to see in flash back! Next chapter is the first day in teams!
> 
> Though I have to update "to tame a deer" and "when worlds collide" first 
> 
> enjoy <3

Shikamaru sighed and dragged his feet along the ground as he headed back to the clan compound. School again, he thought grumpily, troublesome. Unlike the village academy, he couldn’t laze about as much. The Nara instructors wouldn’t allow that, inside the clan you were expected to do your best and excel. There was no judgement about strengths here, and the clan looked after its own. Whereas in the village if you were bright you were expected to do more for much less thanks; in the clan you were encouraged to expand your abilities at your own pace as long as you tried. It was fun in the beginning, and if Shikamaru was being honest with himself, it still was fun. The challenge of the projects awaiting him were enough to push him, but not so hard that he gave in. The problem laid with his cousin. Just one of many cousins that is. Shikamaru sighed again, Yuri started as a friend, a peer in the clan at his age who was also going to the village ninja academy. Then about 6 months into the academy something changed in his cousin, and Shika wasn’t blind, he could see the jealousy dripping off his cousin every time they were in the same room; what he didn’t know, was _why_ his cousin was suddenly jealous. Still, for whatever reason, Yuri would choose whatever course Shikamaru chose to do. It really put a dampener on the joy of learning for Shikamaru, to the point he was considering talking to one of the instructors at the clan academy. Shikamaru groaned at the thought of having to talk to an adult. They were all stupidly protective of clan kids, and they’d want to call his parents in to sort this. Maybe, he’d just deal with it. Besides they went into teams tomorrow, so he’d have less time with Yuri. Waving at the guards lazing at the entrance to the clan district, Shikamaru headed home for a snack and to chill out for a few hours until classes started. Thinking about it, didn’t his mum mention that she wanted to do some drawing today? Shikamaru grinned, dropping his apathetic look and sped up, hurrying home at the thought of doing some art projects with his mum. They could draw the deer! Some of the does were expecting in the spring, just a few months away, so they were showing and would make the _cutest_ picture for his dad’s office! Running the last few houses, Shikamaru ignored the grins on his clansmen’s faces, too focused with getting home. Really, his clan adored children to the point of ridiculousness. That’s why in the compound Nara’s are encouraged to show emotion and enjoy life, it’s outside of the walls that they wear blank masks.

“Mum! I’m home, can we do some drawing today please?” Shikamaru through himself into the house through the open door, kicking off his sandals and skipping into the kitchen with a grin. Having expected just his mother to be in, Shikamaru ground to a halt at the sight of his father and uncles at the kitchen table. With a blink, Shikamaru shifted back to a bored countenance, he was never sure if Uncle Inoichi and Uncle Chouza were okay with the emotional side of Naras.

“Shika-chan!” Cheered Inoichi and reached out to hook an arm around his waist and pull him to sit between Inoichi and Shikaku. “First of all, congratulations on passing the graduation exam; we are all very proud of you. Secondly, put that mask away boy, you are with family here!” Inoichi gave Shikamaru a stern look at the end, his dislike showing at his honorary nephew shutting down at the sight of them. Surely, Inoichi thought in exasperation, the kid knew by now that the Yamanaka and Akimichi clans were safe spaces for the Nara too. Catching the flash of surprise through the amber eyes, Inoichi shook his head and smiled wryly, apparently, he _didn’t_ know. Well, he still had time to learn, Inoichi tightened his grip and tugged the kid closer to hug him.

“Shikamaru, honey, of course we can. The pregnant does are resting in the paddock, so come eat something, and then we will go outside.” Yoshino smiled sweetly at her son. It brought her great pleasure to know that despite being a carbon copy of his father, he had little flashes of her in there too. She placed a bowl of rice, a bowl of miso and a plate in front of her child, before spooning some of the teriyaki salmon and vegetables onto his plate. He would need to up his food intake if he was in Kakashi’s team. Yoshino sighed and leaned into her husband; their fawn was growing up too quickly for her. Smiling reassuringly up at Shikaku, she focused on eating so they could go outside and relax with the does. Afterall, Shikaku’s office here and at the admin tower could do with more artwork.

Settling down in a sunbeam, Shikamaru took a pad and some charcoal of his mum and eyed the does in front of him. Tuning out the soft whispers of his father and uncles, Shikamaru and Yoshino exchanged an excited smirk before turning back to their muses. They had discussed on their way down which deer they would draw, so Shikamaru turned his attention to Princess, his favourite doe. She was darker than most of the herd and still had a smattering of fawn spots on her coat. They seemed to be a permanent addition to her coat, in winter or summer. Shikamaru started work on the dappled lady, making sure to add the falling leaves of autumn in the background. He wasn’t using colour, but he could add shading by smudging the charcoal with his fingers. There was something almost meditative about these moments with his mum. She never told him he was doing something wrong, and she always found something to praise. Slowly the repetitive strokes of the coal, and his fingers, emptied his mind of his problems with his cousin, and his nervousness about being put into teams tomorrow. He was pretty certain Ino-Shika-Cho was happening, but if it was him or Yuri, he didn’t know. Currently all he had to worry about was the shadows in his drawing and expressing the way the dying evening light bent around the doe. This was serenity, and special. A time were he could see his connection to his mum, and it made him appreciate her even more than usual. This strong kunoichi who gave up everything for him and his dad. She gave up her career, and her freedom, to be the matriarch of the Nara clan. She spent hours doing paperwork for the clan and working with the deer or in the research centre; and if she wasn’t there, she was being the perfect mum and wife at home. Shikamaru knew she had ladies’ afternoons occasionally with the Yamanaka and Akimichi matriarchs, but that wasn’t enough for Shikamaru. He wanted to be able to help and take some of her responsibilities off her shoulders. He had already been saving his pocket money from jobs he had done for his dad to buy his mum a necklace he thought she would like. Well, actually; he thought, he had asked his dad to buy it, and he was going to pay his dad for it, otherwise it wouldn’t be there when he finally had enough. The hours slipped away as Shikamaru finished his picture, glancing up as a large calloused hand rested gently on his head, drawing his attention to his father. Flicking his eyes over to where his uncles had been, Shikamaru noticed they had clearly left at some point.

“Time to go little fawn. You have a project at the clan academy waiting for you.” Shikaku stroked his son’s hair and gazed at the drawing being held up to him. It was stunning, as was every piece from his son and his wife. “Its beautiful Shika-chan, you are definitely your mother’s child.” He praised his son, delighting in the rose-coloured flush appearing across creamy skin. That would vanish after a couple of months training outside. A bittersweet feeling filled Shikaku as he watched Shikamaru run to the academy, the picture in his hands as his wife leant into him. As of tomorrow, his innocent child would become a shinobi. He would eventually become hardened, and cynical about the world. Shikaku mourned the day that his son wouldn’t run to him for protection, as well as looked forward to seeing his son become a man. Sighing, Shikaku turned and tucked his wife into his side, nuzzling at the top of her head. They had some time til that day. Until then, Shikaku walked his wife inside with a smile, he would still look to them for love and guidance…

Shikamaru threw himself through the open door just as the bell rang. A distant cousin scruffed him, and pulled him back to his feet, before sending him on his way, ruffling his hair. Now to find his instructor for the night; with a sigh, Shikamaru slouched off in the direction he was pushed; Achimota-sensei was normally in the library at this time of the evening, hopefully Yuri wasn’t in class tonight. Pushing open the heavy wooden door, Shikamaru took a moment to take in the sheer size of the library. It was the main clan library, as well as the clan school library, and it was easily bigger than the village library, with all sorts of subjects. When he wanted to avoid Ino, he would come here and lose himself in the shelves. Shikamaru grinned and trotted off down the aisles until he found his group. Though the grin slid off his face when he noticed Yuri there giving him a scowl, the bruise on his cheek a stark reminder of the spar this afternoon. Slinking around the other side of Achimota-sensei, Shika settled in a seat and waited for the lesson to start, turning his mind towards the chakra theory they were playing with today.

“Good evening fawns. Today we are looking into chakra flow through the body. Now you already know that chakra is a combination of physical and spiritual energy, and it passes through 8 major points in the body. Can anyone tell me what they are called, and what they do?” The soft, almost dreamy tones of their teacher was clear and encouraging.

“Oh, I can sensei!” Yuri called out, his tone one of cocky confidence. “The brain, the spinal cord, the abdomen, the stomach, and the heart.” He sent a smirk at Shikamaru, before looking at his sensei expectantly, flinching when he noticed the slight frown on her face.

“Please don’t call out Yuri-kun. You gave me the areas of the body in which the 8 gates are located, but you didn’t answer my question. Shikamaru-kun,” Achimota smiled at the boy sat half in the shadows, “can you continue and answer the question please?”

“Hai Sensei. There are 8 major points in the body, that controls and regulates the production and use of chakra. There are two in the brain. The first is called the Gate of Opening, this removes the brains regulation on strength used in muscles, giving the user 100% of their possible strength, much bigger than the normal 20%. However, it can cause disintegration of muscles. The second is called the Gate of Healing. It doesn’t actually heal the body, instead it forcibly focuses and increases physical strength and temporarily re-energises the body.

Now we move on to the two gates on the spinal cord. The first is called the Gate of Life, we still don’t have much information on that gate, though the increased blood flow causes the skin to turn red. The second on the spine is called the Gate of Pain. It increases speed and power; however, it causes the muscles to tear, hence the name.

The Gate of Limit is in the abdomen, again increases power and speed. The gate of View in the stomach, again, increases speed and power, it also releases such power that bodies of water nearby can become a vortex around the user. The Gate of Wonder is just below the stomach, again is for speed and power, side effects are not recorded because there aren’t many people who can and would open the gates.

The last is the Gate of Death, located in the heart. Aptly named, as the price of using this gate is death, this gate uses all of the power and energy in the body.” Shikamaru sat down after his detailed answer, ignoring the glaring from Yuri, as the rest of the class murmured about the details in his answer. Shikamaru smiled brightly at the look of approval from his (don’t tell Iruka-sensei) favourite teacher.

“Excellent Shikamaru-kun, thank you. Now these points are major tenketsu along the chakra pathway system. However, in total we have 361 tenketsu in the body. Ignoring those 8 nodes, the elite ranked shinobi access the other 353 on a regular basis. By opening and closing their nodes, they can increase and decrease a lot of other key processes. We will NOT be opening and closing them here, you will do that under the guidance an experienced jounin when you are a high level chunnin. The only shinobi that learnt it as a genin was Kakashi Hatake, when he was apprenticed to the 4th Hokage. Now you all have your projects to carry on with for the next hour or so.” Achimota-sensei shooed them away into the library to research.

With a bounce to his step Shikamaru hurried off to find the book he had been looking through yesterday. It didn’t escape his notice that his teacher intercepted Yuri and sent him in the other direction. Throwing a grateful smile over his shoulder, Shikamaru headed to shelves on chakra nature. Waving to some of his closer family members, he slipped into a darkened aisle. Most Nara’s didn’t spend a lot of time on chakra natures, so he knew he wouldn’t be disturbed and none of the books would have been taken off the shelves. He was hoping he could combine three elements and make a new elemental style. Yesterday he had found a promising book filled with calculations on how to blend the transformations together. Of course, Shikamaru didn’t know his elemental nature yet, but hopefully it wouldn’t matter too much. Just as he buried his head into the book, “The elements of chakra and their mathematical breakdown”, he heard the one voice he didn’t want to hear.

“Oh yes, I scored extremely high on the graduation test, much higher than our so-called heir. In fact, you see this bruise? That was Shikamaru because he was jealous of my scores. Everyone _knows_ that the only reason he is still the heir, is because of uncle Shikaku. I mean really, he is lazier than most, he doesn’t study unless he has too, he barely scrapes marks in the middle of the group.” Yuri’s haughty voice echoed down the aisle, as he stood complaining to Achimota-sensei. “I didn’t realise the clan allowed their heir to bully other clan members!”

From where Shikamaru stood, hidden in the shadows, he could see Achimota-sensei’s normally pleasant face, close off becoming stern and emotionless at Yuri’s accusation. Her voice was cold and blank, sending shivers down Shikamaru’s spine.

“In that case Yuri-san, if you would like to address bullying, I will summon the parents of both you and Shikamaru so we can get to the bottom of the matter. I would hate to know one of our clan bullies our own.” Achimota-sensei’s voice was expressionless, and as hard as steel. Everyone knew she hated bullying with a passion. Shikamaru panicked at the thought of that meeting… His parents were going to go ballistic when he told them his side of everything. He should have said something months ago, but he wanted to prove to himself that he could deal with it; without their help. Steeling himself to go and explain to Achimota what had happened, Shikamaru took a deep breath and carefully put his book down. He didn’t want to see her expressionless eyes look at him and change to disgust… what if she believed Yuri? His heart shattered at the thought of her telling him, he wasn’t worthy of being the heir. The thought that she might convince his parents that he was the bully, brought tears to his eyes. He hated bullies; he didn’t want to be treated as though he was one. Shaking his head, Shikamaru headed towards the two at the end of his aisle, slowing at his cousin’s next words.

“O-o-o-oh, no. There is no need for that sensei. I’m sure I’m overreacting to the rough housing at the academy. There is no need to have a meeting, I don’t want to be a bother.” Yuri stuttered his way through his words, a thread of panic weaving its way into his tone. _Of course, he doesn’t want to have the meeting,_ thought Shikamaru spitefully, _it would be extremely embarrassing to admit you’re the bully, when you were trying to be the victim._ Firmly clamping down on the spiteful feeling of victory at the sight of his cousin’s panic, Shikamaru stepped out of the aisle, his face completely blank, as he waited for either of the two to notice him. Now was the time to draw on his heir training; be graceful and above it all. Let them know he wouldn’t bow to demands but would happily comply with any reasonable request that came his way. Catching his sensei’s eye, Shikamaru stood patiently as Yuri dug himself into a deeper hole. Everyone knew how this was going to end. Even their clansman had stopped what they were doing to watch Yuri make a spectacle of himself. From the corner of his eye, Shika noticed two of the adult Nara Instructors leave the library. Apparently, they were calling Yuri on his story and had gone to fetch both sets of parents… Well there went his good mood of the afternoon.

With a sharp hand movement, Achimota-sensei cut Yuri off mid word, and in a curt voice demanded both boys followed her. With a silent exhale, Shikamaru squared his shoulders and stepped after his teacher, noting his parents enter the main entrance of the library, followed shortly by Yuri’s. It was showtime, but Shikamaru was feeling a little off balance. Did he tell them the truth? Or did he gloss over the details? He didn’t particularly want Yuri to be in trouble, he just wanted him to back off. Stepping into the office, Shikamaru crossed over to sit by his mother., conscious of the eyes of both fathers on him as he bowed to the adults before sitting.

“Right, let us cut to the chase. Yuri has accused Shikamaru of bullying him at the village academy. He told me that it accumulated in Shikamaru beating him up this afternoon, hints the eye. Now, I am aware of the tension between both boys in my classes, and I feel this should be wrapped up.” Pausing for breath, she looked both boys in the eyes, before stating. “Now!” Achimota-sensei didn’t beat around the bush. Neither did she bow her head to his father as her clan head. She stated the accusations in a no-nonsense manner and turned her eyes onto Yuri. “Explain the events as they happened please.”

The room fell silent as Yuri stuttered and squirmed his way through his version of events, clearly uncomfortable at the conversation. When he was done, both fathers softly asked him questions on his story, turning it inside out and back to front to examine it properly. To Shikamaru’s inexperienced ears, even he could hear the inaccuracies and inconsistencies in his cousins’ story. Waiting until he was asked his version, Shikamaru detailed out the events of the academy, pointing out he was only mentioning the last year, as he did so. He told them about the constant verbal put downs, and the attempts to humiliate and embarrass him, all of it leading to him matching off against Yuri this afternoon. Openly admitting that he did go a little overboard in their afternoon spar; Shikamaru said he was willing to apologise for losing his temper, but he wasn’t going to apologise for the rest of the accusations that _he didn’t do!_ Going through the same bout of questioning, Shikamaru did his best to remain calm. He was telling the truth, and he needed them to know that. In the silence that followed him, Shikamaru allowed himself to lean against his mother, fighting to keep the adrenaline from making him tremble. With a brief exchange of glances, his father, Yuri’s father and their teacher came to a decision. Both fathers collecting their own child and leaving. A quick whisper from Shikaku, had Shikamaru slumping in relief. They believed him! Cuddling into his father, Shikamaru let himself be led out of the office, and towards his home. Faintly he could Yuri getting the dressing down of a lifetime as he was dragged home. Safe between his mother and father, Shikamaru looked forward to his bed. That conversation was draining, and anything else could wait til the ‘morrow.

The walk home was mostly uneventful, he stayed between his parents, leaning on his father for support and comfort. The silence was thoughtful and serene. He was grateful that his parents were leaving him to his thoughts for now. He was sure that tomorrow he would get sat down for a serious conversation, but that was tomorrow and could be dealt with then. A calloused hand smoothed over his hair in a way it hadn’t since he was a child; dragging him from his thoughts as he leant into his hand. His father smiled down at him, a small barely there twitch at the corners of Shikaku’s mouth, before his mother guided him towards the stairs. Sleep sounded like a great idea.

_“Why?!” Ino screamed at him; tears streamed down her face as she confronted Shikamaru in agony. He knew what she wanted to know, and he knew that the only answer he had wouldn’t help her. He was a monster in her eyes. A chess master; no …. THE chess master, moving pawns with a disregard to their significance._

_“Shikamaru, answer me! There had to have been another way. Why him? Why Chouji??” The pain in her voice pulled his emotionless eyes up to meet haunted teal. She was always a beauty, he thought absently, a perfect match for the third member of their team. She was fire and water; passion and grace flowing through every vein in her body. Chouji was the earth, strong and nurturing with a grounding affect. It was a shame he was no longer with them, Shikamaru thought briefly. A feeling of regret, shame, and pain flashed through him, before Shikamaru roughly pushed it down. He didn’t have the time to think about how ashamed and revolted with him his father and uncles would be. He couldn’t break down yet, they had too many things to do._

_“Chouji was the only person we had that could hold that pass Ino. We needed to buy time for the medics to evacuate any ninja they could, and their supplies. He knew he wasn’t coming back Ino. Accept it, move on.” His cold voice pierced the air between them, the dawning horror in Ino’s eyes just reinforced his need to stay emotionless. “It was a necessary sacrifice.”_

_A resounding slap echoed through his tent. Pain shot through his cheek, heat pulsing and throbbing intime to his heartbeat. Heavy breathing filled the tense silence, before a voice filled with disgust and anguish broke the tension._

_“How. Dare. You! How DARE you, Shikamaru Nara! He was our friend, our heart, our lover; and you sent him to his death!” Ino seethed, her tears dried in her anger. “Do you know what happened to him? Did you bother to find out how your chess piece,” Here she snarled out the words disgusted with their meaning. “died?”_

_Reaching out she gripped him by his face, forcing him to face her, pupiless eyes almost glowing as she forced her memory onto him. Images bombarded his brain. Chouji, as large as any mountain, standing in the path of the zetsu army. His chakra exploding to form two magnificent butterfly wings, as he faced his death. With a roar, that echoed like thunder, he threw himself into the fray. For the kindest member of their team, who hated hurting anything, he was a sight to behold. He decimated ranks of the white zetsu army, before being overwhelmed. The images focused on the Zetsu army ripping his friend to pieces. A singular scream of pain rang out before everything went quiet. Rivers of blood ran from the mutilated body into the remains of the camp. The medics were safe, but it had cost a life dear to him. The sight of his oldest friend’s head, with his eyes gouged out and his tongue shredded burnt itself on to his brain. He barely noticed when Ino removed her hands, cradling him in her arms as he sobbed. The emotional barriers he had been hiding behind gone. He truly was a monster. The blood that stained his hand was never going to wash off, especially because the next plan of action would take another friend, lover, from him too. How he wished he was a child again…_

Shikamaru shot up from his bed, nearly slamming his head into his father’s chin, tears dripping down his face. These nightmares… they felt so real… like he was there. Curling into his father’s protective embrace, Shikamaru cried for the death of a friend that hadn’t happened yet. He cried in fear of what these dreams meant, and in the knowledge that come the morning, he wouldn’t remember it at all.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was unexpected! Now poor Shikamaru is stuck with an insane genius, a loud ball of sunshine, and the pouty avenger....... Great

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like it!
> 
> Also, let me know on spacing please? I've double spaced between paragraphs, and spaced between each person talking. That should help with reading on a mobile

Shikamaru sighed heavily as he dragged himself to the village academy. The conversation at breakfast hadn’t been fun; despite them believing him over Yuri last night. He hadn’t predicted that him hiding the extent of the bullying from them would make his mother cry; nor had he ever had his dad that upset with him. Apparently, they wanted to know about that kinda stuff and when he pointed out that running to his parents wasn’t very good image for the clan heir, or a genin, his mother sobbed harder. His dad had been really firm when he said that that never negated the fact that Shikamaru was their fawn; and they would protect him all their lives. Shikamaru huffed at the memory of breakfast, he hated hated _hated_ see his mum cry. He’d go past Uncle Inoichi’s flower shop on the way home and pick up some of her favourite flowers! That will make her happy again. With a slight curve to his lips, Shikamaru hurried himself up the stairs at the academy. Time to find out if he was in InoShikaChou or not…

Shikamaru sat stunned as the teams were announced. Team 7. Not team 8 with Ino and Chouji but team 7 with Naruto and Sasuke. What would his dad think?? Their fathers had been on a team together, as had their parents, and their parents’ parents. He had broken the 16th generation of InoShikaChou. Yuri was taking his place. Shikamaru swallowed hard and made the effort to look unaffected as his cousin sent him a smug smirk. This team didn’t make sense. Sasuke and Naruto would work, as the highest and lowest in the class, but everyone knew team 7 was a frontline combat team with the Rookie of the year, the Top Kunoichi, and the dead last. So why did they put him in it? Nara’s were not frontline fighters. Great at stealth and assassinations, but not frontline combat. He sat there frowning lightly as he mulled over the implications of this team. He knew plenty about the skillset of his classmates; hell, he knew plenty in general about Naruto as they skip class together a lot. However, he did not see why they thought the three of them would work together. Shikamaru groaned at the thought of their sensei. Kakashi Hatake. Genin, chunnin, and jounin before most people even thought about going for chunnin. By all accounts, a genius; completely insane, but a genius none the less. He is meant to know over 1000 jutsu, and considering he lived through fighting in a war as a child, he was going to push them hard in training. Shika whined as he dropped his head to land with a thunk on the desk. He could already sense the headache this team was going to get him.

“Oi Shikamaru, come ‘ere! We are gonna be the best team, believe it!” 

As Naruto yelled at him from across the classroom, Shikamaru stiffened and his vision greyed out. Those words… he had heard them before…

_“Oi Shikamaru, come ‘ere! We are gonna be the best team, believe it!” An older Naruto waved Shikamaru over. He had toned down the orange, wearing mostly black with his signature orange for features. “We have a mission. You’re to lead the diplomatic meeting with Iwa’s representative, and I’m meant to “watch, learn, and for goodness sake stay quiet.”” Here, Naruto paused to poke his tongue out a blonde woman sat behind the Hokage’s desk. Shikamaru shook his head and smirked slightly at the argument that followed Naruto’s childish gesture._

_“Maybe we should add wear a mask at all times to that list?” Shikamaru caught the scroll flung at him from the now snickering woman. His own smirk widens at the kicked puppy look Naruto aimed at him. Dodging the poorly aimed fist, Shikamaru bowed to the woman and left the room, dragging the pouting ball of sunshine with him. “Come on, we’ll sort the details out at_ _Ichiraku’s. My treat.” The squeal of delight was the only warning he got, before Naruto jumped on him._

_“Really really? Did ya mean it? Did ya? Did ya?” Naruto’s words rung in Shikamaru’s ears from the volume. Shikamaru smiled this time and nodded his head; a bittersweet happiness filled Shikamaru. That it was so easy to please the guy that would bend over backwards for his friends and ask for nothing in return; yet the same guy was abused by the village for years, and no-one stopped it._

“Oi Oi! Shika! Don’t go to sleep on us now!” Shikamaru jumped as Naruto screamed right in front of him, refocusing him on the here and now. “You can’t sleep now! Aren’t ya excited??” By this point Naruto was shaking Shikamaru as he yelled. Vaguely, Shikamaru noticed most of the class had left and that Sasuke was ignoring him and Naruto. Nodding in response to Naruto, Shikamaru gently pulled himself out of Naruto’s grip. Glancing at the clock to notice that it was an hour after the other teams had left the room; Shikamaru frowned at the door. Apparently, the rumours about Hatake being chronically late were correct. Sighing at the headache developing, Shika decided his best bet was to keep Naruto entertained and Sasuke involved with them. Easiest way? Food.

“Hatake won’t be here for another 2 hours. Let’s go, I’ll let Iruka-sensei know.” Shoving himself to his feet, Shikamaru padded over to the door, deliberately not giving either boy a chance to disagree with him. His dad said the easiest way to get people to follow your words was to act as though they already would. Indeed, the loud steps that followed him out the school and towards the ramen stand proved his dad right. This team was going to be the death of him. Scowling at the clouds as he walked, Shikamaru went over the data he had on both of his new teammates.

**Sasuke Uchiha**

Rookie of the year.

Best at ninjutsu and taijutsu

Worst at genjutsu.

An absolute arrogant jerk with no idea how to work as a team. Would need to be forced to appreciate the abilities of his teammates. Whilst he can plan and work strategically, he prefers to be using the flashiest jutsu he has.

**Naruto Uzumaki**

Dead last of the year.

Best at being adaptable to surroundings, has the most amount of chakra in their class.

Worst at pretty much anything academic or requiring control.

Loud, idiotic at times, desperate for attention. Responds well to challenges and positive reinforcement. Will happily work as a team but prefers to charge into things. Already has a one-sided rivalry with Sasuke, could use that as a method to get him to learn control.

Hopping up onto the stool at the stand, Shikamaru passed the folded menus down to the other two. Silently observing as they both ordered. Clearly Naruto was here a lot. He didn’t even look at the menu and asked for his usual. Shikamaru knew he didn’t have a lot, if any, money spare; so, it makes sense that he was at the cheapest place possible as often as possible. Making a mental note to bring an extra bento for training days, Shikamaru turned his attention to the third member of the gang; plain miso ramen and a side of tomato salad. Weird combo, kinda suited Sasuke though, mused Shikamaru. A very exact dish. Neat, no unexpected elements in the ramen, everything had a balance and a level of control to it. Though admittedly, the salad was a little off piste. A hidden side that enjoys simple pleasures maybe. Turning back to his own miso ramen topped with extra mushrooms, with a side of mackerel, Shikamaru listened as Naruto chattered with the chef and his daughter, noticing when they slipped him extra slices of meat and veggies into the broth. Shikamaru wondered who would break the silence between the three of them first. Knowing how uncomfortable silence made the walking ball of sunshine next to him, Shika silently bet on Naruto, and waited.

“Nara, you know this Kakashi Hatake?” Well colour him surprised, it was Sasuke who broke the silence first. Shikamaru tilted his head back to look at the Uchiha, contemplating what to say.

“I know of him. Never met the guy though. He has failed every team of genin they tried to give him, and he is chronically late to everythi….AHHH” Shikamaru yelped and jumped as a poof of smoke behind him spoke, clearing to reveal the man in question.

“Maa maa, baby Nara-chan. I’m not late to everything. For example, today I got to the academy and discovered my cute little genin-to-be had ran off.” A deep voice spoke from behind the three of them. The smoke vanishing to show a fairly tall and lean male. His silver hair was gravity defying and the only eye they could see was curved into a happy u shape. Shikamaru exchanged a look with Sasuke, before turning back to the jounin, opening his mouth to answer when a scream cut across him.

“YOU’RE LATE! YOU WERE MEANT TO MEET US AT NOON!” An indignant looking Naruto had jumped up from his seat, and was stood with his hands on his hips, glaring at the older guy. If he was attempting to look intimidating, he clearly failed as Kakashi chuckled and ruffled the spikey sunflower yellow hair.

“Settle down whiskers, we can do the introductions here. Let’s start with the little Shikaku who’s trying to analyze me there. Tell me: your name; your age; something you dislike; something you like; and your goals for 6months and a year.” Kakashi cheerily asked, plonking himself down on the spare stool next to Shikamaru, and held his hand up to pause any answer before turning to order. “OH a miso soup with eggplant please.”

Shikamaru huffed before answering, waiting for Kakashi to finishing ordering. “Shikamaru Nara, 11 years old. I dislike people being loud for no reason. I like watching the clouds drift. I guess I would like to meet your expectations at the time points.” Here Shikamaru paused and watched as the dark grey eye kept a steady gaze on him, clearly waiting for more. Shikamaru sighed and answered in a low, quieter voice “In 6 months I want to be able to prove I’m a worthy heir to my father, and at a year I want to be able to stand on my own and know I am a useful member of the Konoha’s shinobi forces.” Ducking his head, Shikamaru could hear the soft thoughtful hum before Kakashi looked to the next member of team 7.

“Okay whiskers, you’re up.”

“I’m Naruto Uzumaki, and I’m going to be the next Hokage, believe it! I’m 11 years old, and I like ramen. I dislike the time I have to wait for it to cook, and people who judge others without knowing them.” Here Naruto stopped and went back to his ramen, his body practically vibrating with energy. He hadn’t exactly answered all the questions, Shikamaru thought, but it was close enough.

“Okay sparks, your turn.”

“My name is Sasuke Uchiha, I’m 12 years old. There isn’t much I like or dislike. My goals, well my ambition is to kill a certain man and resurrect my clan, and I’ll do everything to make that happen. So, I guess at 6 months I want to be chunnin level, and then jounin at a year.” Sasuke’s voice was odd. The closest Shikamaru could get was that it was filled with emotion, whilst being emotionless. Shika couldn’t put his finger on the word he was looking for, just that it was enough to send a shiver down his spine.

The next 10 minutes or so were spent in silence as everyone ate. Clearly Kakashi was digesting their answers and putting together his own individual notes on everyone. Shikamaru shifted slightly, the need to be outside to stare at the clouds starting to build. Not having Naruto chatting next to him was odd. He should have been happy that the loudest member of the team was being quiet, but he really wasn’t, it felt unnatural. Shikamaru slouched further on his stool, waiting for someone to say something. Perking up as Kakashi swung round to face them all.

“Good, all of you are very different, but you all have something in common. You want to prove you are someone in the village. You all want to be stronger. That’s something I can work with. Now for the bad news; out of all the graduating students only 9 of you will go on to be genin with a jounin sensei.” Here Kakashi leant against the counter clearly expecting an outburst.

“WHAT???? But we passed the academy exam! That’s not fair!” Predictably Naruto did explode. He wasn’t happy, and he wanted everyone to know that. Watching Kakashi’s single eyebrow rise slowly at the outburst, an unimpressed look buried deep in his eye; Shikamaru hurried to explain and ask his question.

“No Naruto remember the name of the test. Prerequisite test for application to genin. That was just to prove that we had the required knowledge to test for genin. My dad told me that all the jounin-senseis gave the actually test for becoming a genin. Question: Is it three teams of three, or nine individuals that can pass?” Shikamaru questioned, reaching one hand out to rest on Naruto’s arm, aiming to calm him down. Keeping his eyes trained on Kakashi, Shikamaru could see the disapproving look vanish into a mix of approval and amusement.

“Maa maa, Shikamaru-kun, if I answer that it’ll be no fun… For me that is!” Despite his happy go lucky tone of voice, Shikamaru could detect a faint hint of sadistic glee to the words. Internally Shikamaru swore at his past self’s idiot choice of only aiming for the middle of the class; then Yuri could have been in his place. A grunt pulled Shikamaru from his staring contest with Kakashi.

“So, what do I have to do?” Sasuke growled his question, demanding information from the jounin. His manner bordering on being rude. He was glaring at the jounin, clearly without an inch of respect for the living legend sat in front of him. Shikamaru flinched minutely and hurried to try and sooth over the disrespect. Opening his mouth only for Kakashi to cut him off with a hand movement.

“Why, my cute little student, relax. We’ll cover it as soon as we get there. In the meantime, Asuma, how did your new generation of the trinity clans go?” Kakashi spun on his stool to address the gruff looking man who had just ducked in. The new guy acknowledged Kakashi’s question, before ruffling Shikamarus hair. Sitting next to the silver haired jounin, the heavily muscled jounin ordered himself a pot of tea before answering.

“Failed. The Ino-Cho part worked, but they clearly don’t trust or like the Nara they are with. From what I gather, they were expecting Shikamaru there. Not Yuri. So, I sent them back to the academy for 6months. They had potential, but they need to work out how to work out with another strong personality in the trio. I’ve set work and tasks they need to do, and Iruka-kun has offered to keep an eye on them.” Asuma’s voice was raspy, probably from the smoking. As far as Shikamaru was aware, Asuma always had a cigarette attached to his lip with a spark of chakra. Shikamaru watched as the two jounin discussed what was happening to team 10, curious about how close the two were. Whilst Asuma had been a regular in the Nara compound, Shika hadn’t seen him in the company of Kakashi before. Musing on the details of the team 10 test, how to keep the vibrating Naruto in his seat, and how to keep a pouting Sasuke from just leaving; Shikamaru squeaked at the poke in the ribs from Asuma. Spinning to scowl at him in reproach, Shikamaru could feel the flush heating his ear tips, and across his cheeks at his squeak. It didn’t help that Naruto was howling with laughter behind him, and both jounin were looking at him with indulgent amusement. Shikamaru watched as Asuma pulled his outstretched arm back and repeated a question.

“Now you’re back on planet earth with us Shika-kun, I asked how have you been? It seems like only yesterday I first met you, and here you are nearly a genin.” Here Asuma paused and grinned evilly before continuing. “I do have to say you were cuter as a toddler, hiding behind Yoshino’s skirts whenever a stranger got to close.” 

At his words, Shikamaru could feel his blush deepening as Naruto fell off his seat from laughing. Shika fixed Asuma with an unimpressed look. “Thanks, Asuma. You sure know how to embarrass a guy.” Shikamaru sighed and turned back to the chef, who was chortling away in front of the counter. “Another bowl of miso please.”

Later that evening, Shikamaru curled up in his bed to consider the day. The change in teams was unexpected, and not entirely welcome, but maybe a blessing in disguise. Also, that weird dream…vision…thing was cause for concern. It felt like déjà vu, but clearly it couldn’t have happened, right? He was only 11, he was at least 17 in the daydream. It’s not like he could have actually been through that scene, right? Right! Just got to get through tomorrows test, and then maybe he could contemplate that little dream.


End file.
